Strong finish has Hall thinking of Sunday

IT was not her most memorable round at Thirteenth Beach, but former Vic Open champion Georgia Hall, right, knows how important her back nine holes might prove to be come Sunday afternoon.

Hall, who stared on the 10th hole of the Creek Course, shot a three-under 69 but missed the chance to capitalise on the benign morning conditions.

Despite the English star’s disappointment, she said finishing with three birdies in her last eight holes would give her a boost ahead of this afternoon’s scheduled second round on the Beach Course.

“Three-under is OK, but I didn’t play that great, I was a bit scrappy,” Hall said.

“Surprisingly my long game wasn’t very good and that is normally one of my best parts.

“I holed some good putts and missed a couple of short putts, so it was an up-anddown day.

“I played quite a bit better on my back nine and holed a good 20-footer for birdie on the last hole, so I was happy with that and managed to get back a lost shot on the (previous) hole.”

Compatriot and 2017 champion Mel Reid also shot threeunder on the Creek Course, while fellow past winners Marianne Skarpnord (2015) and Minjee Lee (2014 and ‘18) — both off the Creek — finished with rounds of two-under and one-under.

Hall is five strokes behind leader Felicity Johnson, but the 22-year-old said she knew how crucial it would be to avoid a blowout on the Beach Course today if she wanted to be in contention on the weekend.

“I think it is going to be quite windy,” she said.

“I like playing the Beach Course though, I enjoy that course, but I will have to hit a lot of controlled shots into the greens, so I will see how I go.”